Did Jesus Die for Me? - JESUS' VIEW OF HIS SACRIFICE

Yes, Jesus wants us to view his sacrifice  as a  personal gift.  How can we be sure of that?  Picture the scene recorded Luke 23:39-43.  A man hangs on a torture stake near Jesus. He admits that he is guilty of past wrongdoing. The crime must have serious because this cruel punishment was reserved for criminals of the lowest sort.   Distressed by his plight, the man begs Jesus:  "Remember me when you get into your Kingdom." 

How did Jesus respond?  Imagine him as he painfully adjusts his head to make eye contact.  Although in agony, he musters up a warm smile and reassures the man:  "Truly, I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise." Jesus  could simply reminded the man that "the Son of  man came . . . to give his life as a ransom  in exchange many." (Matthew 20:28) But did you notice  that Jesus kindly empathized the personal nature of his sacrifice?  He set a friendly tone when he used the personal pronouns "you" and "me." And it kept it personal when he alluded to the man's prospect, to live  on a paradise earth. 

No doubt, Jesus wanted this man to accept his sacrifice as a personal gift. If Jesus felt this way about a criminal who has not even has an opportunity  to serve God, he would surely feel this way about a baptized Christian who is serving God. What can help us, then, to cultivate such a wholesome feeling about ourselves despite our past sins?

Next time:  Did Jesus Die for Me? WHAT HELPED PAUL

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